Dan Hartman Discography at Discogs Daniel Earl Hartman Profile: Dan Hartman was born December 8, 1950 in Harrisburg, PA, he died March 22, 1994 in Westport, CT. He was a prolific writer who honed his craft with a spate of non hit songs until he was asked to join the influential Johnny Winter Band as a backing musician, and then moved on to Johnny's brother Edgar Winter Group where he played bass and was given a free hand to participate in their monster collaboration "They Only Come Out At Night", a glam rock affair that defined the new rock ethos with the #1 pop hit "Frankenstein" and then he sang lead on "Free Ride" in 1972. He continued to flourish, learning more instruments and then went solo in 1976, his label issuing "Who Is Dan Hartman and Why Is Everyone Saying Wonderful Things About Him?", a promotional compilation of his tunes recorded with the Winters brothers. Soon, the brothers Winter were backing Hartman on his first true solo release, "Images" which introduced elements of Soul and R&B to his rapidly expanding repertoire.

Keeping his toe in the rock arena, he recorded the Muddy Waters LP "I'm Ready" spending most of the time in the producers chair and adding a new sound to the blues legend repertoire. Hartman's songs usually had a steady beat, and in 1978 he released "Instant Replay" of which the title tune went to #1 disco (#29 pop), but contained a wide variety of sounds and beats that set the scene for his "Relight My Fire" LP in 1979. The centrepiece was "Vertigo/Relight My Fire", which spent 6 energy fuelled weeks at #1 US disco. In 1981 Dan released "It Hurts To Be In Love" - an album which had moved away from the disco sound with melodic and almost Country Music tones. Success returned in 1984 with Dan's collaboration with Charlie Midnight and the release of "I Can Dream About You" from the film soundtrack of "Streets of Fire". "We are the Young" and "Second Nature" were subsequently released from the album but did not make a big impression on the UK charts.

In 1985 his song "Get Outta Town", from the Chevy Chase movie "Fletch" was released as a single and was included on the soundtrack album. Pressings of the UK only 12" single included M&M mixes of "I Can Dream About You" but failed to ignite. Hartman and Midnight then collaborated on James Brown's "Living In America" that peaked at #3 dance and #4 US Pop in 1986. In 1989, he released his final LP, "New Green Clear Blue" a total departure from his pop influenced music with a foray into the "New Age" instrumental music. After being diagnosed with HIV, Dan's last major production projects included tracks for Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Nona Hendryx, Holly Johnson, Living in a Box, the Plasmatics and Steve Winwood. He died, in 1994 from an AIDS related brain tumour just as his music was experiencing a revival.

Dance groups like Black Box used Loleatta Holloway's Dan Hartman produced voice sample on their huge hit 'Ride On Time', and then Take That recorded their own version of "Relight My Fire" with Lulu in October 1993 that went to #1 in the UK. Hartman was secretive about his sexuality and HIV status, preferring to keep his private life to himself. Since his death, his songs "I Can Dream About You" and "Relight My Fire" were cleared for use in the Grand Theft Auto video games that brought his music to a new audience. Sites: Take That on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography As the most popular teen pop sensation in Britain since the '60s, Take That ruled the U.K. charts during the first half of the '90s. In strict commercial terms, the band sold more records than any English act since the Beatles, though their cultural and musical importance was significantly less substantial.

Conceived as the British answer to New Kids on the Block, Take That initially worked the same territory as their American counterparts, singing watered-down new jack R&B, urban soul, and mainstream pop. Eventually, the group worked its way toward Hi-NRG dance music, while also pursuing an adult contemporary ballad direction. Take That's boyish good looks guaranteed them a significant portion of the teenybopper audience, but in a bizarre twist, most of their videos and promotional photos had a strong homosexual undercurrent — they were marketed to preteen girls and a kitschy gay audience simultaneously. Take That were also able to make inroads in the adult audience in Britain through Gary Barlow's melodic, sensitive ballads. For nearly five years, Take That's popularity was unsurpassed in Britain, as they racked up a total of seven number one hits. By the middle of the decade, however, all of the members were entering their mid-twenties and became disenchanted with each other. Furthermore, pop music tastes in Britain were shifting toward the classic guitar pop sounds of Brit-pop bands like Blur and Oasis, who were able to appeal to both the indie rock and teen pop audience.

Consequently, the group called it quits in 1996, as Oasis began to surpass Take That both in terms of sales and cultural impact. Nevertheless, Take That remained one of the most interesting and popular British teen pop phenomena of the '90s, and a reunion in 2005 helped rejuvenate the group's commercial success. Gary Barlow (born January 20, 1971) was always the central figure of Take That, serving as both lead vocalist and chief songwriter. Barlow had spent his childhood focused on music, and by the age of 14, he was playing organ in Ken Dodd's supporting band. One of Barlow's first songs, "Let's Pray for Christmas," was a finalist in an original Christmas song competition on the BBC TV show Pebble Mill. In his late teens, he came in contact with Mark Owen (born January 27, 1974) and Robbie Williams (born February 13, 1974), two other young musicians who came from middle-class backgrounds. Williams' father was a comedian and his mother was a singer; before the formation of Take That, he had briefly appeared in the British soap opera Brookside.

Meanwhile, Owen had previously tried out for the football team Manchester United but didn't make the cut. The trio formed the Cutest Rush, which had a short-lived career. Record producer/manager Nigel Martin Smith had the intention of putting together a British pop group in the vein of New Kids on the Block, and approached the members of the Cutest Rush. Barlow, Owen, and Williams agreed, and along with Jason Orange (born July 10, 1970) and Howard Donald (born April 28, 1968) — two former members of a breakdancing troupe called Street Beat — they became Take That in 1990. After a few brief tours through gay English nightclubs, Take That released their debut single, "Do What U Like," on their independent Dance U.K. label in July of 1991. "Do What U Like" became a minor sensation, primarily because the video was quite suggestive and featured the band's bare behinds.

The single caused enough of an uproar that RCA Records noticed and signed the group in the fall of 1991, and their first single for the label, "Promises," scraped the Top 40 by the end of the year. In early 1992, Take That underwent a Safe Sex club tour to support their third single, "Once You've Tasted Love," but the record only reached number 47. The band didn't break into the big time until that summer, when its cover of Tavares' "It Only Takes a Minute" reached number seven. Following the single's success, Take That became a British media sensation, thus setting the stage for the group's debut, Take That and Party, to land a chart position at number five upon its release in the fall. Within a month, the single "A Million Love Songs" reached the Top Ten. At the end of the year, the group took home no less than seven awards at the Smash Hits Awards, and the debut continued to climb the charts, peaking at number two.

Early in 1993, the group's number three cover of Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic" won a Brit Award for Best British single; shortly afterward, "Why Can't I Wake Up with You" reached number two. Despite their massive success in Britain, the American release of Take That's debut in early 1993 went virtually unnoticed, even though it was supported with a marketing campaign that placed the band on cereal boxes. Their lack of American success went unnoticed, however, when "Pray," the first single from their forthcoming second album, entered the charts at number one. In the fall, "Relight My Fire," which featured a cameo from Lulu, reached number one. Everything Changes, the band's second album, entered the charts at number one upon its October release. Throughout the end of 1993 and into 1994, Everything Changes yielded hit singles, with the majority of the tracks making their way to number one. Though it was a huge success in the U.K., Canada, and Europe, the album was never released in the United States.

As Take That were preparing their third album, Britain's musical tastes were beginning to change, shifting away from the group's trademarked lightweight dance-pop and toward classic British guitar pop. Blur, Oasis, and Pulp became serious contenders for the popularity of Take That, who didn't ignore the threat — they just responded to it in different ways. Gary Barlow plowed ahead with Take That, and the first single from the forthcoming third album, "Back for Good," was more substantive than any of their previous singles and earned them good reviews from all quarters of the press. However, the single suggested that Barlow was beginning to distance himself from the band — and he wasn't the only member to act in such a manner. In particular, Robbie Williams was becoming known as the "wild" member, and was alienating himself from the rest of the group. Nobody Else, the band's third album, was a number one hit upon its spring release, yet Williams was noticeably quiet on the record. During the summer of 1995, it became evident that he was getting ready to break away from Take That. Williams began tagging along after Oasis, who were notorious for their drug and alcohol intake.

He became the target of a number of tabloid reports about his bad behavior, and began bragging to the weekly music press that he was working on solo material that sounded like Oasis. So it didn't really come as a surprise when he left the Take That in July of 1995, announcing that he was working on a solo album. Following his departure, Take That immediately removed his name and likeness from all promotional and commercial material; his face didn't even appear on the cover of the American release of Nobody Else. Williams wasn't the only member of the group feeling the pinch of the Brit-pop revolution. Since all the members of Take That were young men in their mid-twenties, searching for their own identities and desperate to retain credibility, they were beginning to feel uncomfortable with the shiny, polished pop that their group had trademarked — all of the members, that is, except Gary Barlow, who had decided that he was the heir to the throne Elton John and George Michael once held.

As the group was unraveling, "Back for Good" was taking off on American radio, getting heavy airplay on adult contemporary and Top 40 radio stations, as well as MTV, which helped set the stage for the solo career that Barlow was clearly planning. It didn't really come as a surprise when Take That announced they had broken up on February 13, 1996. Following the press release, the group released a greatest-hits collection, with their final single, a cover of the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love?," entering the charts at number one. Barlow began working with a batch of professional songwriters, including Diane Warren, and released a single in the summer that showcased a more mature side of the singer. It stalled at number two, being kept out of the pole position by Spice Girls, a dance-pop group that was touted as the female Take That. Mark Owen, for his part, began working on a solo album that was heavily influenced by Paul Weller and Radiohead. Orange and Donald declined to start solo careers. And Williams? He released his first solo single in the summer of 1996, and despite his initial remarks, it didn't sound a thing like Oasis.

Rather, it was a cover of George Michael's "Freedom 90" that quickly fell off the charts. Williams soon recovered, though, and his accompanying 1997 solo album, Life Thru a Lens, became a chart-topping hit in Britain. A year later, he released the equally successful I've Been Expecting You. Despite his superstar status in the U.K., numerous efforts to break his career in the States (beginning with the 1999 U.S.-only compilation The Ego Has Landed) failed to grab American audiences. Nonetheless, Williams remained a hugely popular performer in Europe, releasing chart-topping album after chart-topping album. In 2005, the Take That compilation Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection, which also featured the previously unrecorded Barlow composition "Today I've Lost You," was released to fairly respectable chart success. A television documentary and reunion tour (minus Williams) followed and helped whet audience appetites for future Take That projects. In 2006, Take That released Beautiful World, their fourth studio effort and first full-length album of new material since disbanding in 1996.

The album showcased the band's updated, mature approach but retained enough of Take That's signature sound to appeal to longtime fans. Beautiful World sold extremely well, moving over three million copies worldwide and going eight times platinum in the U.K. The band also garnered a Brit Award for Best British Single for the song "Patience," and Take That's career resurgence continued with the release of The Circus two years later. The album's leadoff track, "The Greatest Day," quickly shot to number one on the U.K. singles charts, and the album sold over 133,000 copies in Britain during its first day of release. The Circus also generated a successful live spin-off in the December 2009 set The Greatest Day - Take That Present: The Circus Live. Robbie Williams unexpectedly returned to the Take That fold in 2010, his presence dominating the acclaimed and successful reunion album Progress. Take That supported the record — which sold 235,000 copies on the first day of its U.K. release — with a major tour.

On the completion of the European leg of the album tour in 2011, Take That went on hiatus, with Barlow returning to judge on the U.K. X-Factor and Williams returning to his solo material. The following year the band accepted the Ivor Novello award for their Outstanding Contribution to British Music, while also taking the stage for the closing ceremony of the London Olympics. Work began on their seventh studio album in 2013, and it was later announced in 2014 that Williams would not be rejoining them; months later, Jason Orange had also decided to leave the band. The remaining three members entered the studio together and recorded the album III, which appeared in November of 2014. In 2017 Take That — still operating with three members — celebrated their 25th anniversary, marked by the release of their fifth official greatest-hits and their eighth studio album, Wonderland. Take That’s Top 40 Biggest Selling Songs 29 November 2014 Take That’s Top 40 Biggest Selling Songs To celebrate Take That’s latest reinvention as a trio – plus forthcoming new album III – we count down their 40 best sellers!

Google + It’s exactly 23 years since Take That scored their first-ever Top 40 hit with Promises, and few could have predicted back then that the quintet-turned-quartet-turned-trio would still be a major chart force all these years later. They’ve had more ups and downs than the lifts in Selfridges, but one thing has remained constant: that hitmaking ability. 11 Number 1 singles, from 25 Top 40 hits and sales stats that most boybands – or manbands to bring them bang up to date – would kill for a quarter of . Over 9.3 million singles’ sold is the kind of sales real talk we are dealing with here. They broke our hearts on Valentine’s Day 1995 when they said it was all over, but we should have known they couldn’t stay away. In the last few years we have seen Jason Orange, Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald reform as a quartet, re-recruit prodigal band member Robbie Williams, only to shed both Robbie and Jason in time for the release of their brand-new album III.

And with their first single as a trio These Days a serious contender for this week’s Number 1 , we thought it was about time we had a good old route through their biggest selling songs to see which tracks come out on top. And as we’ve got over 23 years of history to look over, why not go the whole hog and make it a great big Top 40? First, the Top 10… 1: Back For Good (1995) The heartfelt ballad was something of a bittersweet experience. Arguably a career high, the band looked invincible at this point (something they’d refute in next single Never Forget) but behind closed doors, trouble was afoot, and this was the last single to be released while Robbie was still actually in the band. Spending a month at the top from April 1995, Back For Good gave us a glimpse of the kind of songs we could expect from Take That when they reformed in 2006, not that any of us suspected that was on the cards, of course. Premiering at the 1995 BRIT Awards, demand for the song was so high, the release had to be brought forward.

At the following year’s BRIT Awards, Back For Good won Best British Single. It’s a solid-gold classic – well, platinum, actually – that no slow dance at the disco would be any good without. SALES: 1.1 million CHART FACTS: Back For Good ended a week-long reign at the top for Outhere Brothers’ novelty hit Don’t Stop (Wiggle Wiggle) and its own four-week Number 1 stint was terminated by Oasis scoring their first chart-topper with Some Might Say. It was the band’s only US Top 10 and went to Number 1 in over 30 countries across the globe. One famous admirer of Back For Good is Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who invited Gary on stage with him and the band to sing it, while he did backing vocals. 2: Rule The World (2007) And so we zoom 12 years into the future, skipping over Gary, Mark and Robbie’s solo careers, a triumphant return and more Number 1s to a little curiosity that didn’t even make it to the top of the Official Singles Chart.

Rule The World was a bonus track on the repackaged tour edition of the band’s hugely successful comeback album Beautiful World, and was also featured on Michelle Pfeiffer movie Stardust. When released as a single, it was a success of Back For Good proportions – save for that small detail of missing out on Number 1 – and became an instant radio staple. X Factor contestants fought over who got to sing it, couples about to get married immediately rethought their first dance playlists, and you bought it in your droves – it was fifth bestselling single of the year. And earlier this year, it became Take That’s second single to score the big one – a million copies sold! SALES: A ‘cool million’ CHART FACTS: How could such an amazing song sell so much and yet never get to Number 1, you might ask? Well, Rule The World was blocked by the chart-topping juggernaut of 2007 that was Leona Lewis’s Bleeding Love, which spent seven weeks at Number 1. Rule The World spent 12 weeks inside the Top 10, more than any other Take That song.

3: Patience (2006) After a silence of over a decade, TT were B – A – C – K. A reunion TV show and tour the year before had proven there was still an appetite for the band, so they put their best foot forward, and mouth to the mic and got back in the studio to make a comeback with new material. First up was Patience, almost a companion song to Back For Good, Patience stormed to the top of the Official Singles Chart almost exactly eight years ago, and refused to budge for a month. To say the comeback was a success is something of an understatement – Beautiful World has sold over 2.8 million copies in the UK. SALES: Patience has notched up over 690,000 sales. CHART FACTS: The band had their first brush with Leona when she bumped them off Number 1 with her X Factor winner’s single A Moment Like This. Patience was the ninth bestselling single of 2006, despite being released so late in the year. Patience won the BRIT Award in 2007 for Best British Single.

4: How Deep Is Your Love (1996) Back in time we go, to the song that we all assumed was going to be the very end of the Take That story. The band’s first Number 1 without Robbie (he left before Never Forget was released, but still sang on it), How Deep Is Your Love was their swansong, released after the announcement of their split. Selling over 230,000 copies in its first week, and paying back Oasis for knocking off Back For Good by returning the favour with Don’t Look Back In Anger, How Deep Is Your Love stayed at Number 1 for three weeks. SALES: 600,000 CHART FACTS: How Deep Is Your Love is, of course, a cover of the Bee Gees’ classic from the soundtrack of John Travolta movie Saturday Night Fever. Take That managed what the brothers Gibb could not – they took it to Number 1.The original only made it as far as Number 3 in 1977. 5: The Flood (2010) Yet another comeback in the boys’ back catalogue, this time Take That were welcoming their long-lost fifth member, Robbie Williams.

Yes, the reunion that absolutely nobody – especially Robbie and Gary – thought would ever happen was actually a real thing and we were wide-awake and not dreaming and hadn’t even bumped our head or anything! The Flood was the first single to feature Robbie in over 15 years! SALES: 580,000 CHART FACTS: Cruelly kept off the top by the mighty Rihanna and her future million-seller Only Girl (In The World). The Flood was one of the Top 40 bestselling singles of 2010. 6: Greatest Day (2008) The lead single from fifth album The Circus, Greateat Day became Take That’s eleventh Number 1 – their most recent so far. SALES: 520,000 CHART FACTS: Yet another Take That tune to feel the Leona Lewis effect – her cover of Run knocked Greatest Day off the top after one week.But they’ve only themselves to blame. Take That helped Leona to victory on The X Factor, performing A Million Love Songs with the star in the 2006 grand final.

7: Never Forget (1995) If you think about it, this is the real moment the old Take That said goodbye. Although Robbie had recently departed the band, they ploughed ahead with the release of Never Forget. The first song to feature Howard on lead vocals and the last Number 1 with Robbie, there was barely a dry eye in the house as Never Forget reigned supreme at Number 1. SALES: 498,000 CHART FACTS: Never Forget marked the second time Take That had knocked Outhere Brothers off Number 1 in that same year – some might say it was getting personal. Boom Boom Boom was denied a fifth week at the top thanks to Howard and the gang. Never Forget meant that every member of Take That had scored a Number 1 on lead vocals – except Jason. Gary, of course, sang the majority of the band’s chart-toppers, but at this stage Robbie and Mark had also scored one each on lead, with Everything Changes and Babe respectively. Mark would go on to have another Number 1 as frontman when Shine did the business in 2007.

Take That found themselves inadvertently caught up in the battle of Britpop when Oasis and Blur went head-to-head to knock them off Number 1. It was Roll With It vs Country House, and Blur, of course, won that round. 8: Shine (2007) The second single from Beautiful World gave Take That a sixth consecutive Number 1 and for some reason reminds us that we have to go to the supermarket to get in a few bits for Christmas. Featured Mark on lead vocals for the first time since 1993’s ten-hanky blubfest Babe. SALES: 493,000 CHART FACTS: Shine spent two weeks at Number 1, giving Kaiser Chiefs’ only chart-topper, Ruby, the heave-ho. It was toppled by Sugababes vs Girls Aloud and their Comic Relief cover of Walk This Way. 9: Pray (1993) Take That’s very first Number 1, and the first of four consecutive chart-toppers for the band, Pray was when TT mania really took hold. Dreamy, beach-set video? Check. Everyone looking like they’ve been down the gym? Check. A month at Number 1?

Check. It took the might of late, great Queen frontman to depose them, but it wasn’t the last we’d heard of Take That in the Number 1 spot… SALES: 394,000 CHART FACTS: Pray was the first of three Number 1s for Take That in 1993 – they spent a total of seven weeks at the top of the Official Singles Chart that year. 10: Babe (1993) And just edging it into the Top 10 is the Christmas Number 1 that never was. Babe had all the right ingredients to be a festive chart-topper. It tugged at the heartstrings, with a tale of love, loss and reunion. The video had snow. And a cute child. But you must never underestimate the purchasing power of the British public, and the UK found the charms of a huge pink alien/monster (we're not quite sure) too hard to resist. Mr Blobby, of course, was that big, erm, blob of chart smashery who leapt back up to Number 1, knocking them off the top after a week and landing there just in time for the turkey.

SALES: 385,000 CHART FACTS: Babe was the first Take That single to feature Mark on lead vocals and the band’s first Number 1 with anyone other than Gary as frontman . Other notable entries in the Top 20 and beyond… Take That’s second Number 1 Relight My Fire FT Lulu just misses a Top 10 placing with 330,000 sales. It’s the only time Take That have released a single with a featured artist. The band’s first Top 10 It Only Takes A Minute lands at Number 20, and Happy Now, from the band’s Progress album, is their biggest selling song not to make the Top 40 at Number 24. First hit Promises lands as their 30th bestseller. And just outside at Number 41 is the band’s classic debut single Do What You Like, which failed to chart. We’ve never been able to look at jelly in the same way since.

Here’s Take That’s Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Songs… Record-Breakers and Trivia - everyHit.com Back To The 'Records & Trivia' Index Most Number 1s This, possibly the most important record, is held by Elvis Presley. He has had 21 chart-toppers, 18 of them different songs (three titles have topped the chart on two distinctly separate chart runs as part of the series of re-issues to commemorate what would have been Elvis' 70th birthday in 2005). You can see how this record has 'changed hands' over the years here . The Beatles are the top group with 17 number 1s. Madonna is the top woman with 13 (as of April 2008). Top female group is The Spice Girls with 9. Only seven acts in chart history have got into double figures with their tally of chart-toppers.

They are: Elvis Presley (21, 18 different songs), The Beatles (17), Cliff Richard (14 : six of them with The Shadows, one with The Drifters, one with The Young Ones), Westlife (14 : one of them with Mariah Carey), Madonna (13), The Shadows (11 : six of them with Cliff Richard, two of these also with The Norrie Paramor Strings) and Take That (11: one featuring Lulu). Westlife hold the record for getting into double-figures in the shortest time (2 years and 10 months [ie. 149 weeks] - more than 3 months quicker than The Beatles (who took 165 weeks). Unlike Westlife, however, The Beatles tended to spend several weeks at the summit, slowing down their release rate.) It is worth pointing out that Paul McCartney has appeared on more Number 1s than any other artist under a diverse range of credits.

He has, in fact, appeared on 24 Number 1s; solo (1), with Wings (1), Stevie Wonder, The Christians et al (1), Ferry Aid (1), Band Aid (1), Band Aid 20 (1) and The Beatles (17). In total, twenty-one artists have appeared on ten or more number one singles. They are: Paul McCartney (24), Elvis Presley (21), John Lennon (20), George Harrison (18), Ringo Starr (16), Cliff Richard (15), Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan (14), Robbie Williams, Madonna (13), Gary Barlow, Brian McFadden (12), Mel C , Geri Halliwell (11), Mel B, Emma Bunton, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen (10). Artist with Most Weeks at Number 1 It's Elvis Presley. He has topped the chart for a total of 80 weeks (as of w/e 5th Feb 2005). Top group is The Beatles (69 weeks).

Top female performer is Madonna (29 weeks - as of w/e 17th May 2008). In his many different manifestations, however, Paul McCartney has spent 93 weeks at the top. Most Consecutive Number 1s 7 - by The Beatles and Westlife. The Beatles' stretch began with "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964 and lasted to "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" in 1966. The run was broken when "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" merely made the number 2 position the following year! Westlife's stint began with their debut, "Swear it Again" in 1999 and ran through to "My Love" in November 2000 (though one hit was a 'duet' with Mariah Carey). It was broken by "What Makes A Man" which peaked at number 2 the following month. Beatles fans are, however, quick to point out that "Ain't She Sweet" (which made number 29 in 1964) was recorded in 1961, well before their EMI contract.

It was issued by Polydor to 'cash in' on the success of the fab four. Fans argue that this was not an "official" Beatles release. If this logic is accepted (though the track did make the charts), The Beatles run of successive number ones begins with "From Me To You" in April 1963 - making a total of 11. Top female group is The Spice Girls (6 in a row from "Wannabe" through to "Too Much"). Longest Span of Number 1 Singles 47 years, 6 months and 23 days. Held by Elvis Presley. His first number 1 was "All Shook Up" in 1957 (w/e 13th June). His most recent chart-topper was the re-issue of "It's Now Or Never" in 2005 (w/e 5th Feb). Runner up is Cliff Richard. His first chart-topper was "Living Doll" in 1959. His latest was "The Millennium Prayer" in 1999, a span of 40, 4 months and 15 days. (+ 21 days for total span).

Longest span for a female artist with solo credit is Madonna on 20 Years, 7 Months, 1 Day (from "Into The Groove", 3rd Aug 1985 to "Sorry", 4th March 2006 - ie. a total span of 1074 weeks). [NB: if we include "4 Minutes" - which also credited Justin Timberlake, the span runs through to 10th May 2008 (22 years, 9 Months, 13 Days) but then this record is broken by Cher - see below.] Kyie Minogue is still both popular and productive and, on 15 Years, 9 Months, and 23 Days (ie. 825 weeks from "I Should Be So Lucky", 23rd Jan 1988 to "Slow"; 15th Nov 2003), regularly poses a threat to Madonna in this regard. If we allow 'credits' on singles rather than solo performances, Cher easily takes the record.

Her duet with Sony, "I Got You Babe" (Aug 1965) to "Believe" (Oct-Dec 1998) gives a total span of 33 years, 3 months, and 14 days [ie. 1738 weeks]. Also worthy of a mention is Tammy Wynette. Her single "Stand By Your Man" made no. 1 in 1975. She was a guest vocalist on the 'various artists' single "Perfect Day" which topped the chart in 1997-8 (22 Years, 7 Months, 24 Days - ie. 1183 weeks). Diana Ross, though not individually credited, provided vocals on the Supremes 1964 chart-topper "Baby Love". She most recently had a solo no. 1 with "Chain Reaction" in 1986 (21 Years, 4 Months, 1 Day - or 1114 weeks - total span).

First Artist To Enter At Number 1 Al Martino's "Here In My Heart" was the track to Top the first ever chart (Nov 1952) so, technically, this was the first track to debut at Number 1. But ignoring this, the first artist to enter at Number 1 in the established chart was Elvis Presley ("Jailhouse Rock", Jan 1958). First Artist To Enter At Number 1 With Consecutive Releases Slade. In 1973 they debuted at the top with both "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me." Fastest Hat-Trick of Number 1s A one-a-week series of re-issued Elvis Presley singles in 2005 enabled him to have three different chart-toppers in just four weeks; ("Jailhouse Rock" w/e 15th Jan; "One Night" / "I Got Stung" w/e 22nd Jan; "It's Now Or Never" w/e 5th Feb). The record for the fastest hat-trick of non re-issued number ones is held by John Lennon.

Following his death in December 1980, there was an almost frenzied buying of his singles. This resulted in him topping the chart no fewer than three times within an 8 week period ["(Just Like) Starting Over" w/e 20th Dec 1980; "Imagine" (a re-entry but nevertheless, not a re-issue, w/e 10th Jan 1981; "Woman" w/e 7th Feb 1981.] First Artist To Enter At Number 1 With A Hat-Trick of Consecutive Releases Take That. In fact, from July 1993 to April 1994, all four of their single releases went straight in at No.1 ("Pray", "Relight My Fire" [featuring Lulu], "Babe", "Everything Changes"). The band repeated this feat in the period from Oct 1994 to March 1996. Most Entries at Number 1 From May 1999 to November 2006, Westlife entered the chart at No. 1 on 14 occasions.

First Entry At Number 1 By A Debuting Act Excluding Al Martino, who was No. 1 in the first ever chart, Billy Preston was the first artist to enter at No. 1 with a debut single. To be fair, he performed the song ("Get Back," 1969) with The Beatles and so, quite literally, can't claim the entire credit for this feat. The Band Aid charity ensemble made its debut at No. 1 ("Do They Know It's Christmas?", 1984) but this comprised a number of already successful artistes. The first act to make its chart debut at No. 1 on its own 'merit' was the Danish vocalist Whigfield (1994). Her song "Saturday Night" (with its associated dance) had been huge on the continent for some months and the demand from Brits returning home built up an enormous head of steam prior to its release. First British act to debut at No. 1 was Robson & Jerome ("Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs Of Dover", 1995). First solo male to debut at No.

1 was Babylon Zoo (a name used by British vocalist/multi-instrumentalist, Jas Mann) with "Spaceman" (1996). First British female act to make her debut at No. 1 was Billie ("Because We Want To", 1998). First all-girl group to make their chart debut at No. 1 was the Irish quartet B*Witched (with "C'est La Vie") in 1998. First British all-girl group to make its debut at No. 1 was Girls Aloud ("Sound Of The Underground", 2002). Most Entries at Number 1 by a Debuting Act On 11 Nov 2000, Westlife became the first act to have their first seven singles enter the chart at Number 1 as "My Love" crashed in at the top spot. First Act To Reach Number 1 With Their First Three Releases Gerry And The Pacemakers. Their debut single, "How Do You Do It?" was released in March 1963. After five weeks it made number 1.

It was followed later that year by "I Like It" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" (both topped the charts four weeks after first appearing in the Top 40). This feat was not matched until 21 years later when Frankie Goes To Hollwood took each of their first three singles to the top (1984).

Self-Replacement At Number One On nine occasions in history, one title by an act has knocked another hit, by the same act, off the number one spot: Ray Conniff and his Orchestra (Jan 1957) "Just Walking In The Rain" replaced by "Singing The Blues." Norrie Paramor and the string section of his orchestra (Mar 1963) - "The Wayward Wind" was replaced by "Summer Holiday." The Shadows (Aug 1960) "Please Don't Tease" knocked off the top spot by "Apache." The Shadows (Jan 1963) "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" replaced by "Dance On!" The Shadows (Mar 1963) "Summer Holiday" replaced by "Foot Tapper." The Shadows (Apr 1963) "Foot Tapper" replaced by "Summer Holiday." The Beatles (Dec 1963) "She Loves You" replaced by "I Want To Hold Your Hand." John Lennon (Feb 1981) "Imagine" replaced by "Woman." Elvis Presley (Jan 2005) "Jailhouse Rock" replaced by "One Night"

 / "I Got Stung." NB: Full credits: -"Just Walking In The Rain" - Johnnie Ray, Ray Conniff and his Orchestra / "Singing The Blues" - Guy Mitchell, Ray Conniff and his Orchestra.

- "The Wayward Wind" - Frank Ifield, with Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra / "Summer Holiday" - Cliff Richard, The Shadows and the Norrie Paramor Strings. - "Please Don't Tease", "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" and "Summer Holiday" were credited to Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Longest Gap Between Number 1s 31 years 0 months - for George Harrison. "My Sweet Lord" first made the top spot in Jan 1971. A few weeks after his death, it returned to number 1 (Jan 2002). In second place is the artist who also holds the record for the longest gap between number 1s with different tracks and the record for longest gap between number 1s within the lifetime of the artist; Leo Sayer. In Feb 1977 he hit the top with "When I Need You". He didn't return until Feb 2006 (a day shy of 29 years gap) - with "Thunder In My Heart Again" (a remix of his 1977 hit, as 'Meck featuring Leo Sayer').

The longest run between original number 1s (i.e not a re-release/remix) is 18 years and 3 months for Blondie (Nov 1980, "The Tide is High", to Feb 1999, "Maria"). Biggest run for a female artist is 14 years 6 months by Diana Ross - from the prophetic "I'm Still Waiting" (Sep 1971) til "Chain Reaction" (Mar 1986). Special mention must be made here of Stevie Winwood. Though not specifically credited, he hit number 1 with The Spencer Davis Group ("Somebody Help Me") in Apr 1966. A barren period then followed before a sample of his solo hit "Valerie" formed the basis of Eric Prydz's chart-topper "Call On Me" in Sep 2004; an hiatus of 38 years and 5 months between appearances, albeit uncredited, at number 1. Longest Time For An Artist To Get To Number 1 34 Years, 10 Months, and 2 Days; Tony Christie.

His first single, "Las Vegas", entered the Top 40 on w/e 16th Jan 1971, peaking at no. 21. His single from November of that year, "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" was used in 2005 by comedian Peter Kaye in various TV performances, ultimately leading to a re-release in aid of Comic Relief. That catapulted the track back into the chart - at no. 1 - on w/e 26th Mar 2005. This broke the record set over 18 years previously by Jackie Wilson. His "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town)" topped the chart in Dec 1986; 29 Years, 1 Month, and 11 Days after it first entered the chart. The longest time for a female soloist to take to reach Number 1 is 25 Years, 8 Months and 15 Days for Cher [from her first solo hit, "All I Really Want To Do", 19th Aug 1965 to "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", 4th May 1991].

She had, though, previously topped the chart as half of Sonny and Cher before going solo. In terms of contributing to a Number 1: Ozzy Osbourne holds the male record. He first hit the Top 40 as a member of Black Sabbath with "Paranoid" on w/e 12th Sep 1970. 33 years, 3 months and 8 days later (w/e 20th Dec 2003; a total of 1736 weeks) he achieved the top spot with "Changes" (a duet with daughter Kelly - and a version of a Black Sabbath album track from 1972). The previous record holder was Eric Clapton. He first hit the chart as a member of the Yardbirds in 1965 ("For Your Love", w/e 20th Mar 1965) but did not form part of a chart-topping combo until hit collaboration with Cher (her again!), Chrissie Hynde and Neneh Cherry ("Love Can Build A Bridge", w/e 25 Mar 1995); 30 years, 0 months and 5 days [1567 weeks].

Lulu holds the female record. Her first Top 40 hit was "Shout" (w/e 16th May 1964). She finally hit the top spot with Take That ("Relight My Fire", 9th Oct, 1993); 29 Years, 4 Months and 23 Days. Posthumous Number 1s A morbid one - but one about which, nonetheless, we receive constant emails. Artists which have topped the chart following their death are: Artist

Question: Who sang with Take That on their 1993 UK No 1 single, 'Relight My Fire'?
Answer: Lulu